Forget Me Not
by MadHatter2708
Summary: What if Cal had noticed Rose on the deck of the Carpathia? What if she had agreed to take him back? And, what if Jack somehow came back, only to find Cal and Rose back together? Cal/Rose Jack/Rose
1. Ill Fated Forgiveness

A/N Well, hope you enjoy it! Sorry if it seems OOC. Please review, if possible! Oh and not sure if this has been done before, but hopefully not. (:

_Forget Me Not_

Chapter 1: Ill-fated Forgiveness

Rose shivered, pulling the blanket tighter around her. She surveyed her surroundings; the rain was pelting down, running in rivulets across the deck.

Unbeknown to her, Cal was silently making his way through the crowds, hoping to find her - _and_ the necklace.

Her pocket felt heavy and unbalanced. She dimly remembered Cal giving her the coat to shoulder and it occurred to her that he may have unintentionally left something in it. Rose briefly considered handing the coat back to Cal – of course, that was if and when she found him - without checking the contents of the pocket, however after further deliberation she chose not to. Citing that it was rightly hers, after everything he had put her through.

Cal continued with his searching, Rose had the extortionately priced "heart of the ocean," something he was not willing to leave without.

Rose raised her hand, examining the veins which stood out, in contrast to her starkly white skin; before slipping her hand into her pocket. Her hand made contact with a hard, smooth object.

Her breath caught in her throat; she knew what was in there. Cal had - rather foolishly - forgotten to remove the necklace from his coat and it was now in her possession; as it should be.

Cal came to the third deck; he had doubts of finding Rose here; as it was for the lower class. Which Rose was most definitely not. A figure caught his eye but he was unsure as to why. The figure was slight with a shock of auburn hair. She looked most like Rose and the coat she was wearing was suspiciously similar to his own. However, surely Rose wasn't down here. Why would she be?

The girl turned and Cal perceived a side profile of her face. There was no mistaking it. The girl was undoubtedly Rose.

Cal froze in his tracks. Now that he had found whom he had been searching for, an unfamiliar emotion set in, one which he faintly recognised as anxiety.

Rose had not yet become aware of Cal's presence. She continued to observe the movements of the others on deck. Everyone was soaked from the initial downpour, and were frantically searching for separated relations. Rose sighed to herself, saddened by the fact that she was truly alone. Or so she thought.

"Rose?" Cal called out, bellowing to be heard above the din.

Rose's knuckles tightened, she recognised that voice. She gave no indication that she neither knew nor heard him.

Cal moved closer, absently wondering if he'd be wrong. No. This _was_ Rose.

Rose waited, praying he'd leave her alone. Her prayers were ignored.

Cal placed a hand upon her shoulder, "Rose?" He repeated, a questioning note present in his voice.

She hesitated, mentally counting to ten. She then plastered a fake, overly-cheerful smile to her face, "what is it, Cal?" She asked frostily.

Cal thought carefully about what he was going to tell her. An idea occurred to him, "I'm sorry to hear about your mother, Rose."

Rose looked shocked; evidently this is not what she'd expected to hear, "what do you mean? She got off the ship."

Cal sighed theatrically, "Yes, but she...she fell into the water. You know how cold it is in there."

Rose's hand moved to her mouth at its own accord, "no...no! She got away..." As much as her mother had grated on her nerves, she still loved her. She didn't want to believe what Cal was telling her.

Tears rose to her eyes, and she blinked angrily, she didn't want to cry in front of Cal; he'd only think her weak.

After an effort, she spoke again, "okay, I appreciate your telling me, but please, leave now. We have nothing more to say to one another."

Cal tenderly looked into her eyes, she adverted her gaze in response.

He raised his hand to cup her chin, "come now Rose, all we have in the world is one another."

Rose thought about the dark future which now lay before her. A future without companionship.

It sounded rather bleak.

Cal watched as the emotions flitted across her face. She'd soon realise that she needed him.

When Rose spoke again, her voice reflected the weariness she felt, "I don't think I can forgive you for what you did."

"You don't really have a choice," he informed her. The words were soft-spoken, in contrast to the harsh meaning which they held.

Rose held his gaze for a moment, recognising the fact that he really was not willing to let her go. She'd never get away from him, until he was bored of her.

"I suppose... I suppose you're right..." It pained her to say these words; however she knew that if she played along with him for now, she might have a better chance of being completely free from his influence. She only had to stick it out for a little while. Besides, what other options did she have?

Cal appeared satisfied by her agreement; he grasped her arm, and led her along after him.

She didn't struggle, although her body was screaming out for this reaction. She hadn't forgotten that he had hit her once before. And he was more than capable of doing it again.

They arrived at the entrance of the upper deck, "where you belong," he blithely told her.

She mutely nodded, sickened by the knowledge that she was going along with this.

Cal pulled her closer, encasing her in an embrace. Rose didn't notice as he snaked a hand around her waist, intending to reach into her pocket.

She caught sight of his movement from the corner of her eye, and twisted away slightly, deterring him from his objective.

Cal smiled slightly, showing his teeth. Rose cringed away from his expression.

"Now Rose, everything will be fine; now you're back with me."

Cal still didn't know whether she had the necklace or not.

And he wasn't going anywhere, until he got it back.


	2. Engagement

Chapter 2: Engagement

_One month later_

Cal stared down at the ring in his hand. It was beautiful, reflecting the rays of light, creating a rainbow spectrum of colour. He wasn't worried about whether or not she'd accept, as she already had. He had proposed to her before boarding the Titanic; however this no longer applied as the heart of the ocean had disappeared. Which was what sealed the engagement.

They were currently in the ballroom, which was adorned by a magnificent chandelier. This was the room he favoured above the rest; the grandness of the room could be matched by no other.

Cal enjoyed seeing the envious looks on his colleagues' faces. He had invited them along tonight, for appearances sake. He had instructed Rose to dress up, and she did look extremely striking, albeit discontented. Cal always asked her to dress in her finest when making significant announcements. She knew tonight was no different, yet she was unaware of his real incentive.

Cal raised his glass and gently tapped it with his spoon. Within seconds every eye in the room was focused on him.

"My darling, Rose," Cal spoke lovingly; extending his hand towards her. Her eyes, large and round, almost doe-like, stared questioningly up at him. He smiled at her although he didn't know whether it reassured her or frightened her further.

He surveyed the faces surrounding him a moment longer. His eyes came to rest on Rose's. Without breaking his gaze, he went down on one knee.

Rose gasped when she realised his intentions.

"Rose, I ask for your hand in marriage."

There was a smattering of pleased exclaims mainly emitted from the female population of the crowd and Rose nervously began to chew her lip, as everyone switched their focus to her.

He'd already asked her, and she had accepted, as her mother had ensured her that it would make her, and the family, very proud. Not wanting to disappoint, she had agreed, albeit reluctantly. Now, however, it was entirely her choice, no one was telling her how to reply. Except...every person in this room was definitely expecting her to accept, especially Cal.

What would happen if she said no?

Rose didn't think she wanted to find out. It wouldn't be pleasant, she knew that much.

"Rose?" Cal stared at her, and she blinked rapidly. Swallowing hard, she opened her mouth to reply, and then shut it again. The thing was, she didn't know how to reply.

Cal scared her. Sounds simple, right? Just say no; then he'll have no hold over you. But it wasn't that simple. From the expression on his face, it was clear he'd never accept any response with the exception of yes.

Rose felt her cheeks muscles becoming strained, due to the effort it was taking to keep her resolute smile pasted on. The crowd shuffled restlessly, impatient by the time it was taking her to respond. A great many throats were cleared, hinting unsubtly that she was expected to answer soon. Or, rather, immediately.

"Ah, I...I..." She faltered under Cal's gaze. His eyes, dark and stony, seemed to douse any flame which had kept hope alive in her. She felt a cold hand grip her heart.

"I...will marry you." The hand tightened its grip, and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

A great surge of excitement exploded across the room, and a sigh was heaved; many had been worried about Rose's reaction. It was clear she was not at ease with life, even to an uninterested, unpractised eye.

Cal smiled tersely, and moved forward to place the ring upon her finger. It was undeniably beautiful, but Rose no longer cared for the materialistic possessions in life. Jack had altered her perspective on life. Jack.

Her heart froze over when she thought of him...alone, stuck in the deep abyss of the ocean. A lump developed in her throat. She hadn't allowed herself to think of Jack for a long time. Rose wanted to remember Jack as he was in life, not as that dark fingure, whom had given his life for her.

Her breathing became laboured, as she recalled the events of that night. She had been trying so hard to block it out, to forget. But every time the wound seemed to scab over, she always ripped it open again, creating a fresh wave of pain.

_Jack. Oh, Jack..._

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she dropped her gaze to the floor, her eyesight blurred by them. "Rose?" Cal spoke again, irritated by her dismal reaction. He wanted her to be joyous, pleased, anything but this. People were beginning to stare, and if there was one thing Cal hated, it was negative attention.

He smiled reassuringly at the questioning stares from their guests, "just all the excitement, you know how emotional these women get." He directed this at one of his closest acquaintances. People like Cal didn't really have friends. To his relief, the man's face broke into an understanding smile, "ah yes, of course, perhaps we ought to leave her to calm herself down?"

Cal threw a glance at Rose, checking that it was safe to leave her by herself, he really couldn't deal with tears. "I think you are right, I shall join you in a moment." The man nodded, and walked away.

Cal pulled Rose closer, hissing into her ear, "Pull yourself together, fiancé. We must keep appearances up." She shuddered when she said fiancé, and although she tried to hide it, Cal noticed.

"Not having second thoughts, are we?" His voice was dark, heavy and full of unspoken meaning.

Rose's eyes widened and for a moment she considered saying yes. She then realised what the implications of that would be, and shook her head.

Satisfied, Cal proceeded to walk away, following the direction his acquaintance had taken. He didn't look back.

Rose watched his retreating back disappear into the throng of bodies, before heading for the bathroom.

Another beautiful, glamorous, overly-expensive room. She barely glanced at anyone en route, avoiding eye-contact. Many a time, someone attempted to congratulate her, but she warned them off by a grimace, and a quick step.

Eventually, she reached her chosen destination. Barely had the door had time to shut, before she broke down.

The walls she had build in the past few weeks, had crumbled, in a matter of minutes. She had given into Cal. She had just made everything Jack had taught her meaningless.

Rose may have been surrounded by a countless number of people, many more than she was accustomed to.

But never had she felt so alone.


End file.
